Yusho's Pisco Punch Recipe

Pisco is grape brandy that hails from Chile and Peru. Like many classic punch recipes, Yusho's Pisco Punch includes tea—a sencha infused with coconut and pineapple, also a prominent flavor in the drink's gomme syrup. Pineapple sencha is also available commercially; Bachman recommends Den's Tea out in Torrance, California. And for a comparable pineapple gomme syrup, try Sonoma, California's Small Hand Foods.

Yield:makes 1 cocktaill

Active time:10 minutes

Total time:24 hours

Ingredients

For Infused Green Tea

1 pound loose-leaf sencha green tea

2 ounces dried pineapple

1 ounce dried coconut

For Pineapple and Umeboshi Gomme Syrup

1 large pineapple

6 umeboshi (pickled Japanese plums)

8 cups superfine sugar

2 ounces food-grade gum Arabic powder

4 cups water

For Cocktail

2 ounces pisco, such as Don Cesar Especial

1 ounce coconut and pineapple infused green tea

1 ounce pineapple and umeboshi gomme syrup

1 ounce lemon juice

Lemon wheel

Directions

1.

To make the infused green tea, brew the loose tea leaves, coconut and pineapple with boiling water. Let steep and cool, then strain out solids.

2.

To make syrup, bring water to a boil and add gum Arabic to hydrate. Whisk constantly until all is dissolved and water is milky. Break down pineapple into small chunks and place in a large container. Smash the umeboshi and add to the container. Add sugar to the water mixture, whisk until all is dissolved and bring back to a boil. Simmer for 8 minutes. Remove syrup from heat then pour over pineapple and umeboshi. Cool, cover and macerate for 24 hours. Filter and seal.

3.

To make cocktail, combine pisco, infused tea, gomme syrup, and lemon juice in Boston shaker with ice and shake hard for 20 seconds. Dump entire contents of shaker into large goblet glass. Garnish with lemon wheel.